Packing apparatus



Nov. 27, 1934- H. c. SUMNER ET AL PACKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 19315 4 SheetsSheet l C l U NHHU WI I Nov. 27, 1934. H. c. SUMNER ET AL 1,981,881

\ PACKING APPARATUS Filed Feb; l,' 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fzg 8.

5. H. C. UMNEK. .iEA/WGLEY FJ TFIYLUR. INuE/vrom.

HT Tom/5Y3 NOV. 27, 1934. c SUMNER ET AL 1,981,881

PACKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet HC. Sum/ER. F1 Tnnoe Elder/Toes Patented Nov. 27, 1934 l'lED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKING APPARATUS Henry Cecil Sumner, Wyberton, Frederick John Taylor and Frank Langley, Kirton, England Application February 1, 1933, Serial No. 654,741 In Great Britain February 2, 1932 15 Claims. (01. 226-51) This invention is for packing apparatus and has for an object to provide improved mechanism, operable upon bags in a more or less fiattened condition such as paper bags delivered from a stack or pile thereof, for opening said bags so that they may be filled. It also has for an object to provide mechanism whereby such filled bags may be closed and sealed.

In the ensuing description, which is by way of example, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus.

Figure 3 shows the opening mechanism and is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1,

but on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional plan taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are elevations of the bagclosing dies and the operating mechanism therefor.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of said dies.

Figure 10 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale of a part of thesealing mechanism shown in plan inFigure 2.

Figure 11 is a section on the line .11 -11 of Figure 10. 1 I t.

Figure 12 is a plan of Figure, 10, while Figure 13 is a sectional plan, through the dies of Figures '7 and 8, and showing part of the mechanism of Figures 10, 11 and 12.

Throughout this description like reference nu.- merals indicate like parts The apparatus illustrated in the accompanying,

drawings is for opening, filling and sealing bags or other containers and although it forms part of a vending machine which is described in co= pending patent applicatio rNo; 654,740 filed February 1, 1933 its use is not confined to such a vending machine. In the construction illustrated, in Figure 1 there is a platform 10 on which a stack of bags is placed with their mouths uppermost. These bags, which are indicated at 11a, are pressed forwards by a pusher 12, which is moved by a weight 13, until the foremost bag 11 is positioned almost directly underneath a plate 14 which forms one wall of a chute 15, down which chute the materials are discharged into the said bag when it has been opened by the mechanism hereinafter described.

The chief elements of the bag-opening mechanism and two pairs of strip-like bag-opening fingers 16 and 1'7 which are inserted into'the mouth of the bag and are then moved apart so that the bag is opened. In order to effect this the two rear fingers 16 are carried upon a slider 18 that is mounted for vertical reciprocation upon the plate 14, and the mechanism by which this 0- slider and its fingers is moved comprisesa rocking lever 19 which is connected by a link 20 to the slider and is rocked at appropriate intervals by means of a pin 21 carried upon a rotatable disc 22. The lever 19, and hence the slider 18 and 35 fingers 16, is biased towards an upper position (in which the fingers are above the mouth of the bag that is to be opened) by means of a tension spring 23 and is rocked to lower and insert the fingers when the pin 21 makes contact with the end of said rocking lever. When the lever has been thus rocked a gravity catch 24 falls into a recess 25 at the end of the said lever so that the fingers 16 are retained in their lowered position. The said catch 24 is subsequently released at the appropriate moment by means of a further pin 26 upon thedisc 22. The two fingers 17 are also inserted into the bag simultaneously with the fingers 16. These fingers 17 are carried upon a slider 27, which is reciprocatable vertically upon a plate 28 constituting the opposite wall of the filling chute 15: this wall is itself movable towards and away from the other wall 14 and to this end is attached to a horizontal plate 29 which is slidable horizontally in suitable guides on the machine frame in order to bring the fingers 17 towards and away from the fingers 16. The. mechanism whereby the plate 29, the chute-wall 28, and the fingers 1'7, are moved horizontally is controlled by means of a pin 30 carried upon a rotatable disc 31, which disc is attached to a horizontal cross-shaft 32 geared to that cross-shaft 33 upon which the previously-mentioned disc 22 is carried This pin 30 during its rotation about theshaft 32 engages in the forked end of a pivoted lever-34, and rocks it, and as this lever 34 iscoupled by a connecting rod 35 to the plate 29 the latter and the fingers 17 are thereby moved horizontally. The vertical movements of the. fingers 1'7 and the slider 27 carrying them are also derived from the shaft 32. On this shaft there is a cam plate 36, the face of which is cut witha cam-groove 37 and in this groove a pin on the end of a lever 38 engages: the said lever is attached to a transverse spindle 39 which at its 5 opposed ends carries levers 40, themselves connected by substantially vertical links 41 to a'further transverse spindle 42. In the centre of the length of this spindle 42 there is a rocking lever ,43 the other endof'which is connected to the slider 2'7 and which approximately midway in its length is pivoted upon a rocking link 44.

While the fingers 16 are still in their raised position the fingers 1'7 are raised, they are then advanced towards the fingers 16 and are lowered into the bag mouth, by the aforesaid mechanism, simultaneously with the insertion of the fingers 16. The entry of these fingers 1'7 into the mouth is facilitated by a spring arm or blade which is attached to the under side of the plate 29 and so positioned that during the advance of said plate it makes contact with a projection 46 on.

the underside of the chute-wall l4 and is defiected thereby into the mouth of the bag to partially open the latter. facilitated if, as is preferred, the forward edge or lip of the bag mouth is somewhat lower thanthe other. After the insertion of both pairs of fingers the plate 29 and chute-wall 23 are retracted to draw the fingers 1'7 away from the fingers 16, so that the bag is thereby completely opened, and it will be noticed that the opening movement of the bag causes the mouth of it to be positioned beneath the chute 15. Material is then discharged down the chute to fill the bag and at or about the same time the fingers 16 are raised. Immediately after this. the fingers 1'7 are moved still further to the left in order to position the now filled bag at a station at which mechanism operates to close and seal the mouth thereof.

This bag sealing mechanism incorporates means for threading a skewer or the like through the contiguous opposed walls of the bag adjacent to its mouth, so as to connect the said walls together and close or seal the bag mouth. The first step in the sealing operation is to clamp the walls. of .the bag, adjacent to the mouth, between dies which are so formed as to cause-the contiguous walls of the bag mouth to conform in plan to a curve or arch so that by a simple rectilinear movement the skewer may be passed through the said walls from one side to the other and back again; These dies are numbered 4'7 and 48 andif reference is made to Figure 9, it

will be seen that the die 4'7 is provided with a projecting tongue 49 and the die 48 with a corresponding vertical recess 50- so that when the two 1 dies are brought together. with the bag mouth between them the centre portion of the bag mouth is forced into the recess 58. The said dies are also formed with a horizontal slot 51, which when the dies are brought together provides a transverse passage along which the skewer may be forced to transfix that portion of the bag which has been forced into the recess 50.

From Figure 1, it will be seen that in their inoperative position both of these dies lie to one side of the bag and it is, therefore, necessary to advance the die 48 and to lift it over the bag mouth to the other side of the bag. To this end the arm 52 on which the die 48 is carried is provided with an inclined ramp 53 (see Figure 8),

and below the ramp there is a roll or pin 54 up,

which the ramp rides when the die 48 is advanced so that the latter is lifted over the top of the bag and thendropped down on the far side. The arm 52 is pivoted to a block 55 itself pivoted to the upper end of a lever.56, which lever is movable by means of apin 5'7 projecting from a plate 58 on the cross-shaft 32. The die is subsequently retracted by; means 'of a further pin 59 on the disc 58.which pin at the appropriate moment makes contact with. an arm 60 attached to the lever 56.

Immediately after the die 48 has been thus positioned' on the far side of the bag the die 4'7 is The opening is also advanced to press the bag mouth against it the said die 4'7 being reciprocated in a somewhat similar manner. As shown in Figure '7, the die 4'7 is advanced by means of a pin 61 on a further disc 62 also mounted on the shaft 32, which pin makes contact with and rocks a lever 63 linked at its upper end to the horizontal sliding shaft 64 which carries the die 4'7. The movement of the lever 63 in the reverse direction to retract the said die 4'7 is, at the appropriate moment, effected when a further pin 65 on the disc 62 makes contact with and rocks an arm 66 which is connected to the lever 63.

When. the walls of the bag adjacent, to the mouth, have been clamped between the dies 47 and 48 in this manner, a skewer 6'7 is stuck through the walls to secure them. These skewers, a supply of which is kept in a magazine 68 at the side of the machine, are made of wire which is so twisted that at the forward end a loop is formed and at the rear end a two-pronged fork and therefore when edible material is packed into the bags these skewers may be used as forks for eat ing such material. Beneath the magazine 68 there is a horizontally reciprocatable bag-piercing needle 69 which is cut longitudinally with a recess to accommodate a skewer, the forward end of the recess being chamfered as at 69a and the rear end of the recess being provided with a nose 6% to engage between the prongs 67a of the skewer. As shown in Figures 1042, the bottommost skewer gravitates into the recess in the needle, the remaining skewers being supported horizontally in the magazine by means of an inturned lip at the bottom of a spring plate '70 hereinafter referred to. The needle is then pushed forward from the base of the magazine by means of levers worked from a cam '71 on the longitudinally extending shaft '72 that serves to couple the cross shafts 32 and 33 together. In its forward movement the needle carries the skewer with it and it enters into the slot 51 formed across the co-operated faces of the dies 4'7, 48 and transfixes the walls of the bag from one side to the other and back. again. The needle 69 is then retired, but on its backward movement a light spring '73, which, conveniently is attached to the die 48, co-acts with one of the prongs of the skewer 67 and prevents the withdrawal of said skewer, so that the latter remains in position and holds the bag mouth closed when the bag is subsequently released from the dies 4'7, 48. During the forward movement of the skewer-carrying needle 69 a vertical pin '74 thereon is brought into contact with a bell-crank lever '75 to rock the latter and thereby deflect the supporting plate '70 so that the skewers in the magazine are allowed to fall. When the needle is retired the plate '70 springs back into position so that all the skewers with the exception of the bottom one are again supported by the inturned lip, while the bottom skewer drops into the empty recess in the needle ready for the next bag. The connection between the spring plate '70 and the bell-crank lever '75 may consist of a threaded stud '76 which projects, from said plate through the wall of the magazine 68 and through the end of said lever 75, and at the outside of said lever is provided with a knurled adjusting nut 77.

The bag having been thus sealed the dies 47, 48 are retired by means of the pins 59, 61 (the die 48 being lifted over the bag during its retirement) and the filled bag which has hitherto been supported upon hinged trap-doors '78 is discharged through them down a discharge chute.

moving said dies to grasp and close the bag mouth We c1aim: 1. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a movable guide movable towards the bag mouth, a blade movable with said guide towards the bag and operable to enter the bag mouth and partially open it, a fixed guide at the opening station, fingers uponthe movable and fixed guides and movable thereon into the bag subsequent to the insertion of the blade, and means for retiring the movable guide thereby to move the fingers apart.

2. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a chute leading to said station for discharging materials into the bag when opened, said chute having one wall movable at right-angles to the general plane of the bag-mouth, a blade and fingers movable with said wall, said fingers being also movable into and out of the bag, means for moving said blade and fingers to l bring the latter above the bag-mouth, means for deflecting the blade upon said movement into the bag-mouth, further fingers positioned at the opening station and also movable into the bag, means for inserting all fingers into the bag, and means for retiring the chute wall and the fingers associated therewith to open the bag.

3. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning, a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag upon such movement to open partially the bag, a plurality of bag-opening fingers, means for inserting said fingers into the 7 partially opened bag and for moving them apart 46' to complete the opening and mechanism for filling the bag thus opened and mechanism for closing and sealing said filled bag comprising means for threading'a skewer back and forth through the walls of the bag adjacent to the mouth thereof to seal it.

4. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag upon such movement to open partially the bag, a plurality of bag-opening fingers, means for inserting said fingers into the partially opened bag and for moving them apart r to complete the opening and mechanism for filling the bag thus opened and mechanism for closing and sealing said filled bag, comprising a bagpiercing and skewer-carrying needle, means for forcing said needle, carrying with it a skewer,

: through the walls of the bag from one side to the other and back again, and means for withdrawing said needle leaving the skewer in position to fasten the bag.

5. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag upon such movement to operating subsequently to close and secure the bag mouth, comprising a pair of dies, means for between them, which dies are formed to impart to the bag mouth an arched form in plan, means for interlacing a skewer through the bag-walls while the bag is thus gripped, and means for opening the dies to release the bag.

6. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag upon such movement to open partially the bag, a plurality of bag-opening fingers, means for inserting said fingers into the partially opened bag and for moving them apart to complete the opening and mechanism operating subsequently to close and secure the bag mouth, comprising devices for closing the .bag mouth and for distorting said closed mouth toan arched form, and means for interlacing, by a rectilinear movement, a securing piece to and fro through the walls of the bag adjacent to the mouth thereof.

'7. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag uponsuch movement to open partially the bag, a plurality of bag-opening fingers, means for inserting said fingers into the partially opened bag and for moving them apart to complete the opening and mechanism operating subsequently to close and secure the bag mouth, comprising devices for closing the bag mouth and for distorting said closed mouth to an arched form, a skewer-carrying needle, means for advancing said needle to pierce the walls of the bag during said advance at least two spaced positions carrying with it a skewer, means for feeding said skewer to the needle prior to said advance, and means for retracting the needle leaving the skewer in position.

8. In the combination claimed in claim '7, a magazine for skewers wherein said skewers lie horizontally and one above the other, the advancing means for the needle serving to move the needle forward along the bottom of said magazine, a catch for supporting the skewers in said magazine above the needle, and means for tripping said catch at each advance of the needle to permit one skewer to descend to said needle.

9. In bag-opening apparatus for opening bags from a flattened condition the combination of means for positioning a flattened bag at an opening station, a blade movable towards the mouth of the bag at said station, means for deflecting said blade into the bag upon such movement to open partially the bag, a plurality of bag-opening fingers, means for inserting said fingers into the partially opened bag and for moving them apart to complete the opening and mechanism operating subsequently to close and seal the bag, said mechanism comprising a pair of dies located in their inoperative position both to the same side of the bag, means for lifting one die over to the other side of the bag and for bringing said dies together to close the bag mouth between them, means for threading a skewer-like article back and forth through the walls of said bag gripped between the dies to secure said bag, and means for retiring the dies to their inoperative position.

10. In the combination claimed in claim 9, a rod on which one die is mounted, a ramp on said rod, means to reciprocate said rod, and an abutment, up which the ramp moves during movement of the rod, for. causing said die to be raised and lowered to lift it over the bag.

11. In bag-opening mechanism operable upon 5 bags in a flattened condition the combination of a pusher for feeding bags one at a time to an opening station, a chute for discharging material into the bags opened thereat which chute has one wall movable towards and away from the opposite wall, a springy plate connected to said wall, a deflector arranged to engage said plate upon the advance of the wall and thereby deflect it into the mouth partially to open the latter, a set of bag-opening fingers mounted for vertical sliding movement on the slidable wall and a further set similarly mounted on the opposite wall, driving mechanism for lowering both sets of fingers into the partially opened bag, for retiring the chute wall to move the fingers apart to com plete the opening and for subsequently raising the fingers out of the bag, and means for subsequently closing and sealing the bag by interlacing a skewer-like article to and fro through the walls of the bag adjacent to the mouth thereof.

12. In bag-opening mechanism operable upon bags in a substantially fiattened condition, the combination of means for positioning at an opening station a bag to be opened, a guide extending to one side of said station substantially at rightangles to the general plane of the bag, a finger support reciprocatable on said guide towards and away from the bag, ablade on said support, an abutment for engaging said blade upon the ad- Vance of said support towards the bag and there- -by deflecting said blade into the bag-mouth to partially open it, a bag-opening finger mounted upon said movable support for movement into and out of the bag in a direction at right angles to that of the support, a fixed guide, a second finger support mounted thereon for movement towards and away from the bag in a direction at right angles to that of the first support to bring a finger thereon into and out of the bag, a finger on said second support, means for advancing the first support towards the bag positioned at the opening station, means for lowering both fingers into the bag, means for retiring said first support to open the bag, and means for raising both fingers out of the opened bag.

13. In a packaging machine, the combination of a store for goods, means for withdrawing goods therefrom for packaging purposes, packing mechanism comprising a bag-feed for supplying bags in succession to be filled, an open-er for opening each bag to permit the reception of a quantity of goods thereinto, means for closing the bag mouth after filling in a form which in plan is out of a straight line, and means for passing a skewer through the bag walls while so closed together to seal the bag.

14. In a packaging machine, thdcombination of a receptacle for goods, mechanism for withdrawing successive batches therefrom and trans; porting them to a packing station, means for positioning a container at said station to receive a batch, dies for closing the mouth of said container, a skewer-carrying needle, means for sup- 1% plying skewers thereto, mechanism for causing said needle to interlace its way through the walls of the container adjacent to the closed mouth carrying with it a skewer and for causing said needle to retire leaving the skewer in position to seal the container, and means for releasing the dies.

15. In the combination claimed in claim 14, a pair of dies whereof the cooperating faces between which the container walls are engaged are formed one with a recess and the other with a corresponding projection and are also so formed as to delineate between them a tunnel along which the needle may move.

H. c. SUMNER.

F. J. TAYLOR. FRANK LANGLEY. 

